Best games
Best Strategy games of 2006
The 8 best Strategy games released in 2006, ranked from 1,327 critic and player ratings.
The best Strategy game of 2006 is Company of Heroes, with a critic score of 95/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 2006.
- 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,327 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 8
01
Company of Heroes
Command the company that changed the face of history! Battle your way across Europe as your troops make intuitive use of the terrain and buildings for cover and mount attacks on an equally intelligent enemy. Your Mission. Your Men. Your Decisions.
95
/100
02
Medieval II: Total War
Take command of your armies and expand your reign. Conquer, destroy, rebuild and improve the cities of the greatest medieval nations of the Western and Middle Eastern world. Employ diplomacy to manipulate your allies and enemies and direct epic and visceral real time battles with up to 10,000 meticulously detailed troops shedding blood on lush 3D landscapes complete with dynamic weather effects in order to re-write history and rule the world. Spanning four and a half centuries of Western history’s most bloody and turbulent era, Medieval 2 encompasses the golden age of chivalry, the Crusades, the creation and propagation of gunpowder, the rise of the professional army and the discovery and conquest of the Americas. The indirect sequel to 2002’s Medieval: Total War, Medieval 2 is set between years 1080 and 1530 and focuses on medieval warfare, religion and politics in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
90
/100
03
Civilization IV: Warlords
84
/100
Company of Heroes
Command the company that changed the face of history! Battle your way across Europe as your troops make intuitive use of the terrain and buildings for cover and mount attacks on an equally intelligent enemy. Your Mission. Your Men. Your Decisions.
95
/100
02
Medieval II: Total War
Take command of your armies and expand your reign. Conquer, destroy, rebuild and improve the cities of the greatest medieval nations of the Western and Middle Eastern world. Employ diplomacy to manipulate your allies and enemies and direct epic and visceral real time battles with up to 10,000 meticulously detailed troops shedding blood on lush 3D landscapes complete with dynamic weather effects in order to re-write history and rule the world. Spanning four and a half centuries of Western history’s most bloody and turbulent era, Medieval 2 encompasses the golden age of chivalry, the Crusades, the creation and propagation of gunpowder, the rise of the professional army and the discovery and conquest of the Americas. The indirect sequel to 2002’s Medieval: Total War, Medieval 2 is set between years 1080 and 1530 and focuses on medieval warfare, religion and politics in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
90
/100
03
Civilization IV: Warlords
84
/100
04
Disciples II: Gallean's Return
84
/100
05
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade is a real-time strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players command one of several factions, each with distinct units and playstyles, as they battle for control of the planet Kronus through base building and squad-based combat. The game features a non-linear campaign where territories are conquered across a global map, along with customizable commanders who gain equipment and abilities over time. Expanded faction variety and multiplayer options add strategic depth and replayability.
84
/100
06
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth 2
Wage war in the North and assume command of the most storied civilizations in all of Middle-earth history - the Elven and Dwarven armies - or fight on the side of Evil with heroes and creatures that have never been seen in The Lord of the Rings films. Defend or overtake never before seen lands such as Dol Guldur, The Misty Mountains, and Mirkwood as you unleash powerful new weapons and abilities, such as summoning dragons.
81
/100
07
Rome: Total War - Alexander
79
/100
08
Heroes of Might & Magic V: Hammers of Fate
66
/100
Disciples II: Gallean's Return
84
/100
05
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade is a real-time strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players command one of several factions, each with distinct units and playstyles, as they battle for control of the planet Kronus through base building and squad-based combat. The game features a non-linear campaign where territories are conquered across a global map, along with customizable commanders who gain equipment and abilities over time. Expanded faction variety and multiplayer options add strategic depth and replayability.
84
/100
06
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth 2
Wage war in the North and assume command of the most storied civilizations in all of Middle-earth history - the Elven and Dwarven armies - or fight on the side of Evil with heroes and creatures that have never been seen in The Lord of the Rings films. Defend or overtake never before seen lands such as Dol Guldur, The Misty Mountains, and Mirkwood as you unleash powerful new weapons and abilities, such as summoning dragons.
81
/100
07
Rome: Total War - Alexander
79
/100
08
Heroes of Might & Magic V: Hammers of Fate
66
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Strategy game of 2006?
Company of Heroes currently tops the ranking with a score of 95/100 across 245 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.